Numerical Simulation of Multiphase Flow in Fracture Networks in Shale Oil Reservoir

Multiphase flow models in embedded fractures and multi-fracture-intersecting network were built to accurately characterize the flow law of multiphase fluid in complex fractures in shale oil reservoirs. The method utilized was numerical simulation developed to analyze the flow law of multiphase fluids in the multi-fracture-intersecting networks. The results show that the numerical simulation method for the multiphase flow in the fracture network solves problems such as single fluid type characterization, large fracture scales, high requirements for meshing accuracy, and discontinuity of fluid parameters at the fracture interface. This method can be used to assess the communication scale and distance between hydraulic and natural fractures, and the formation pressure calculated by the numerical simulation method can characterize the pressure variation near the fracture network of shale oil reservoirs given the production time. The numerical simulation method proposed in this paper provides a new technical approach to the evaluation of shale oil reservoirs.